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Sir Chadley

Sir Chadley

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What gets me about these stories is don’t those guys realise how stupid they look when they are so obviously biased?

The arrogance must be through the roof with some of these guys.

I’ve never come across it personally because I’ve never been good enough to try out for any rep team in any sport.

Closest I’ve come was when I took my son down to the Sutherland Under 10s rep trials for cricket a couple of years ago. I actually recognised a few of the selectors, I had played against them in park cricket. One of them was particularly familiar as I’d bowled him out twice in one day when I took 13 wickets in a day after making them follow on.

He was now affiliated with the Engadine Club and the other selector was from Gymea. It was amusing to see the final list come out with the majority of kids chosen from these two clubs. They are pretty strong clubs I know but still.

This is not sour grapes about my boy, it was just experience for him but very easy to see how bias does play a big part.
 
egg

egg

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burgess1978 said:
You mean like if there is a school rep team and the selector happens to be the coach of one of the local schools, and the rep team ends up being half made up from that school (including picking a 7 who can't pass so nobody other than the middle 6 players touch the ball the whole game)? Nah - that never happens ;)

From what I understand, the selectors are typically given a list of kids by the club/coach/league/school to watch in any rep trial. If you are the best on the park and not on that list you have 0% chance of being picked (unless they already know you).

They are also RIDICULOUSLY rigid with positions. I've seen very good players turned away from even trialling because "we've already got someone for that spot".

Having an NRL/QRL/NSWRL dad certainly doesn't hurt either. Cam Smith's son was selected for a state u12 rep carnival this year. He'd never even played a game of Rugby League before the trials - and he isn't very good.
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I think perhaps hold back a little on Cam Smith's son assessment
By all reports mentally way above his age and does have ability .( has footy smarts )
He's in a GREAT coaching environment at Currumbin Eagles .
Allowing him play various positions. ( mainly halves )
But if he settles on hooker will kill it
Doesn't get pushed by his dad , who is just letting him enjoy the game .
He goes good , someone's seen something
 
Sparkles

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burgess1978 said:
He's 12 mate. I'm not sending him to the junk pile. What I'm saying is that he played poorly at the carnival. Could be that he had a bad coach or his teammates didn't do as they were told - I don't know. There is absolutely zero chance he was picked based on his performance that day alone though, which is kind of the point. Someone saw something in him beforehand and already had their mind made up.
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I believe his mum received one of these after the game...
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Sparkles

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burgess1978 said:
I think it is only a matter of time before we see the schools move on from the "play a rep trial" selection method - or at least I hope so.

NRL have realised it is not the best way to do things. Now the message just has to filter down to other leagues and the schools system.

QRL model moving forward is:
- No rep teams for ages 15 and below.
- u13's-u15's can join a local development program, which is not selection based. Sign up and you are in. Kids learn some footy, general fitness/health, and all do L1 coach, ref and trainer certs as part of it. The idea here is that a child may not have been seen yet as being "talented" but he is keen to learn more than just what they are getting from his club training, and he/she is committed to turning up.
- Junior Rep teams start at 16's with a 6-8 week comp in March/April played by the Q Cup clubs (mostly). Each club selects a squad combined from their junior feeders, play out the comp, and at the end of April the players return to their junior clubs (this is like Harold Matthews)
- There is a Qld team selected for u16's and u18's (to align with NSW)
- No Qld team for 17's, but they play City vs Country

More from the research:

i.e. The younger you introduce specialised training and selection-based teams, the more likely players are to lose interest in the sport, and the less likely they are to become good later in life.
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That's interesting, not that I'm expecting my young bloke to play. My 4yo daughter on the other hand has developed a lethal fend...
How does that compare to Rugby? Could it be a bit of a carrot to play that boring code just because they'd get rep honours?
 
Sparkles

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burgess1978 said:
No idea. If my boy switches to Rugby I'll be sure to find out for him just prior to packing his bags and changing the locks ;)

RU is heavily school-based up here. Not sure about rep, but selection-based teams and early specialisation are definitely big. From what I can tell from talking to Rugby parents (I'm related to one. I'm obliged to) club Rugby is a lot more community/development focused than the schools.
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I'll do my best not to hold it against you.

I don't hear much about the game here in general, but even less about lower grades or schoolboy. Probably because the schools where they play are quasi-cults that don't like to let the outside world in too often...
 
Blair

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On the nepotism thread, when I was playing in the 90s Barry Russell was one of the scouts for junior sharks teams. He came down to a few of our games and gave me and a couple other players a tap on the shoulder that we were in line for a call up.
I’m the end John Langs son (not Martin) got the call up with a couple of his mates - none had much talent. Still stings.
I will add that after going into the development system these fellas did come out of it significantly better players.
 
stormshark

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burgess1978 said:
Yep. That's the Pygmalion effect in a nutshell. They end up good and nobody stops to think how good others kids may have been given the same opportunities.
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Yep and that's the real shame. And its harder to get in, than be asked to leave cause time and $$$ already being invested within. Think these "Development Programmes" however are a step forward to widen the net, seek inclusiveness and hone skills/basics as a building block for all.
 
Gards

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HaroldBishop said:
Dunno about 4 years. Will be interesting to see the dollar amount.
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I am confident it will be overs and all based on potential not past performance. the club seemed eager and desperate to get him locked in urgently and for a while

club, coach and player need to deliver on this if decision has gone this way
 
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